Abstract
This study is dedicated to the importance of developing socio-cultural competence in teaching a foreign language based on toponyms which plays an important role in intercultural communication. It is proved that these linguistic units contain cultural components that reflect the realities, traditions, and customs of a particular society. They are culturally marked units that reflect the history of the country, its language, habitat, as well as the characteristics of the inhabited territory. The article discusses the concept of “sociocultural competence” and its components. The main methods of implementing toponyms into the educational process are described, as well as the most effective technologies for the formation of intercultural competence of students are identified. A set of tasks based on toponymic material from Excel textbooks adapted for Kazakhstani schools has been developed and presented. In the analysis of toponymic material, the method of continuous sampling was used, and an analysis of various classifications regarding the formation of sociocultural competence was carried out. Based on the research material, the authors of the article conclude that toponyms as linguistic units can be used in the educational process to form students’ socio-cultural competence.